


A Time You'll Never Forget

by littlebits1101



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Anime, Black Butler - Freeform, Kuroshitsuji - Freeform, Manga, Other, Romance, fan fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 09:32:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8008219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlebits1101/pseuds/littlebits1101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aileen appears in a new land without her memories. She stumbles upon the Phantomhive estate where she is offered a job and a place to stay while she recovers her memories. Both Sebastian and Ciel take a liking to Aileen, but who will she choose, in the end?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Her Mind, Confused

Aileen opened her spring green eyes.

“Where… am I?”

She looked around her, first left and then right. All she saw were trees, trees, and more trees. She stood up, brushed off her jeans and white t-shirt, and turned around.

Before her was a massive mansion surrounded by a garden of white roses and bluebells. At this point, she realized she was not wearing any shoes or socks. Having no choice but to move forward, she trudged to the mansion in hopes that the owner would let her stay the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aileen finally stood at the door, long blonde hair moving in the sudden wind, and knocked on the door.

About five seconds later, the door was opened by a tall, black-haired man with crimson eyes and pale skin. He was wearing a black suit with a black tie and a white undershirt.

He stared at her in disinterest for a moment before Aileen finally got up the courage to ask the man if she could stay the night when he spoke.

“What business do you have here?” he asked.

Aileen got an odd feeling about the man after he spoke.

Very timidly, Aileen said, “Could I but stay the night? I am lost with no recollection of how I arrived at this place.”

Something in the man’s eyes softened, just the smallest bit.

“Come in and ask the master of the house,” the stranger said, “for I am but a butler, and therefore not able to make that decision.

Aileen walks in the doorway of the mansion and sees the interior’s beauty. It takes her breath away. The grand staircase had golden handrails and was carpeted in the same shade of red as that of a ripe tomato.

“Right this way Lady…?” The butler said.

Aileen sat in silence for a moment, trying to remember. “I… cannot recall,” she admitted. “I only remember my first name, Aileen. I guess my surname is with my lost memories.” She smiled apologetically.

The butler smiled back at her. “That is quite alright, Lady Aileen. I shall take you to my master now.”

“Before you do, would you mind telling me your name?” Aileen asked the handsome butler.

He bowed at the waist with his hand over his chest where his heart would be. “Sebastian Michaelis, my lady, at your service.”

“Thank you, Sebastian,” Aileen said while blushing. “Please take me to your master to see if I may be accommodated for the night.”

“Follow me, Lady Aileen.”

With another bow, Sebastian brought Aileen to his young master’s study.

When they arrived Sebastian said, “Please wait here for a moment, Lady Aileen. I shall announce your presence to the Earl.”

With one last bow, Sebastian left Aileen in the hall and went to talk to his master.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few moments later, Sebastian reappeared at the door.

“Lady Aileen, please step inside. The young lord wishes to see you.”

Slowly, Aileen walked into the room. A child, who couldn’t have been more than thirteen or fourteen years old, sat behind a large wooden desk.

“Please, have a seat,” the child said.

Aileen looked over at Sebastian, who had an amused smirk on his face. He gestured for her to sit down and she did with another blush.


	2. Her Mind, Confused

The young boy in front of her cleared his throat.

“What business do you have here?” he inquired.

She answered, “I’d like to but stay the night. I don’t know how I arrived here, nor where here is. Hopefully I will know at least something by tomorrow morning.”

The boy muttered something under his breath.

“I’m sorry, I did not hear you,” Aileen said.

“It is nothing concerning you,” the boy sassily replied.

“If you say so,” Aileen replied, just as cheekily. “Sorry, I do not think I ever caught your name.”

“I don’t think I dropped it,” the petulant child said. “But I suppose, since you’re staying the night, we ought to get formalities out of the way. I am Earl Ciel Phantomhive. And you are…?”

Aileen stood up and curtseyed. “Aileen, my lord. I am truly sorry that I do not provide you with my surname, nor my title, if I have one. They are somewhere with my forgotten memories. I thank you for letting me stay in your home, even though I have nothing to offer in return.”

The young earl narrowed his eyes for a moment.

“Who said anything about me letting you stay here without paying me back? In return for this, you will be helping out Sebastian around the manor for the next week. Naturally, you will be staying here and will have all your meals and clothes provided for you.”

Aileen was shocked at this. She just expected to stay the night, not a whole week! She thought about how fortuitous this was, as she wouldn’t have to worry about shelter for the rest of the week

“Oh, that reminds me,” Ciel said. “What kind of clothes are you wearing? I’ve never seen a lady in pants before.”

Aileen looked down at herself, just noticing that her clothes were odd compared to that of the Earl’s and his butler’s.

“I’m afraid...I don’t know,” she answered, in a daze.

“Well, no matter. Sebastian, bring our guest to her room and help her change. Make sure to show her the full Phantomhive hospitality,” said Ciel.

“Yes, my lord,” Sebastian replied with a smirk. “Right this way, Lady Aileen. I shall prepare you for tonight’s supper.”

“Sebastian, is Ciel always like that? He seems kind of scary,” Aileen asked, as they walked down the hallway.

“The young lord usually is not that moody, in answer to your question. I wonder what has his knickers in a twist?” (A/N Sorry this is a little OOC for Sebastian but it's a lot of fun to say) Sebastian muttered, just barely loud enough for Aileen to hear.

Aileen frowned. Could it have been her that upset the earl? No it couldn’t have been, for she had just gotten there, she reassured herself.

Well then, what did?


	3. Her Mind, Embarassed

After a ways of walking, Sebastian and Aileen arrived at a door.

“Lady Aileen, this you be your room for the duration of your stay. If you are in need of anything, anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask it,” the charming butler said.

Blushing, Aileen looked down at the ground.

“Tsk-tsk. A Lady should never look down. Only with her head held high,” Sebastian commented, putting a finger under her chin and lifting her face up.

Aileen’s face turned an even brighter red. She asked the first thing that came to mind.

“What kind of clothes am I supposed to wear here? I do not think my current attire is appropriate.”

“My, what a sharp girl we have here!” Sebastian said sarcastically. “You should be in a dress and corset, along with…” he trailed off, looking down. “Shoes would be highly appropriate as well. Would you like assistance getting dressed for tonight’s dinner?”

“Y-yes, please. I would.” With each word, Aileen’s voice grew stronger and more confident.

“Right this way then, my Lady,” Sebastian said opening the door to Aileen’s new bedroom. He walked over to the closet and opened the doors. “What color would look best on my Lady tonight? Plum purple? Scarlet? No, best to go with Cerulean. That will complement her eyes nicely. As for footwear, I believe these black heels will do quite nicely.”

Sebastian turns around. “Now, my Lady, It is time for you to get prepared for dinner. Would you like to bathe before or after the meal?”

“Before, please,” Aileen replied.

“Alright, I shall prepare the bath. When I get back I will help you with your clothes.”

“Se-Sebastian?!” Aileen started to panic. “What do you mean, help me with my clothes?”

“You don’t mean to bathe fully clothed, do you? That would make it a little hard for me to properly clean you.”

“Clean me? I am perfectly capable of cleaning myself, thank you very much!” Aileen shouted indignantly.

Sebastian sighed. “My master instructed me to give you the full Phantomhive hospitality. That includes the full care of the guests at the Phantomhive estate. What kind of butler would I be if I couldn’t fulfill my master’s orders?”

Aileen gave in with a sigh. “Alright, Sebastian. But no looking! I will undress myself and enter the tub by myself. If I catch you looking…” she let off with a growl.

“You have my word that I will not look at you until you are situated in the bath. It would be quite difficult to wash you if I couldn’t look.”

“Go on now. Prepare the bath. I will wait here until it is ready.”

“Certainly, my Lady.” Sebastian bows and walks towards the bathroom.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Lady Aileen, your bath is ready.”

“Thank you Sebastian. I will summon you when I am in the tub.”

“Very well, Lady Aileen,” Sebastian said with a bow before turning around.

“Oh also, Sebastian,” Aileen called out as he was walking away. “You can drop the formalities. Please just call me Aileen.”

“I shall try my best my- Aileen. But proper etiquette dictates that every woman shall be called a lady. It will be hard for me to drop that.”

“Your best is all that I ask for, Sebastian. I’m going to get prepared for the bath now, so no peeking!” Aileen said with a smile.

“No need to worry, I will be in the other room waiting for your summons La- Aileen.” The butler bowed once again and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Aileen unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down along with her undergarments. Next her white-now brown- t-shirt was removed leaving her in nothing but her own skin. Slowly, she stepped into the tub. She settled in, noticing it was the perfect temperature, not too hot, but not too cold either. There was also an abundance of bubbles on top.

“Sebastian, I’m ready,” Aileen called to the bedroom.

“Very well m- Aileen. I am entering now,” he said as he entered the bathroom.

Awkwardly, as she was not used to being nude in front of a male before, she slid lower trying to hide in the bubbles. Upon seeing this, Sebastian chuckled softly with a genuine smile. 

“My lady, you need not be ashamed. I have seen almost everything before, no need to hide from me.”

Aileen blushed, not knowing what to think. She looked down again, and Sebastian sighed.

Putting a finger underneath her chin, Sebastian brought her head up and whispered, “Aileen, what did I tell you before? A lady should never look down.”

Aileen blushed an even brighter red. “S-sorry Sebastian.”

“No need to be sorry my Lady, just remember the rule. It is proper etiquette, after all.”

Releasing her chin, Sebastian set about washing her with a gardenia scented soap. Inhaling, she started calming down and closed her eyes.

“Enjoying this, are we?” Sebastian said with a chuckle. 

“Very much so,” Aileen replied, opening her eyes. 

She then proceeded to open her eyes even wider in shock. Sebastian's face was right next to hers. With a gasp, she pulled back the slightest bit. She had never been this close to a man before.

 

Or had she…


	4. Her Mind, Remembering

Gasping, she pulled away from the man who had taken her. He had brown hair and hazel eyes that looked on with glee as he watched her struggle.

“NO!” she shouted, putting her hands to her hair. She grabbed a fistful of it and started screeching like a banshee. The brown haired man laughed for a moment and then grabbed her arms and pulled them away from her head.

The man said, “Come on, loosen up a little! There no time to live like tonight.” He started moving towards her again, taking off his shirt and cravat. He placed them on top of his desk as he walked closer to her. He spread his arms as if to give her a big hug, completely defenseless.

“No!” She shouted again, weaker this time. She fiddled with her hands, wringing them together over and over.

“Finally giving in, I see. It is about time. Now I can finally enjoy myself,” he said with a sneer. Grabbing her arm and pulling her close to him as to undo the back of her dress. He was at the third lace when She couldn't take it anymore

“Nooooooo!” With one last screech, she plunged the hair pin she was holding in her hand into his neck and started running, only stopping to grab her shoes. She ran as far and as fast as she could until she collapsed.

A/N Sorry this is so short. I couldn't really think of a better way to show her past.


	5. Her Mind, Abashed

“-een. Calm down! Aileen!”

When she came back to herself, Sebastian had a panicked expression on his face and was shaking her.

Blinking, she said with a hoarse voice, “Se- Sebastian. I'm ok now. Dont worry.”

Sebastian didn't relax, but he accepted that she wasn't going to tell him what was wrong.

“Alright. Is my Aileen okay now? You were calm and relaxed, then all of a sudden your eyes became unfocused and you started shouting no.”

Aileen shuddered. Sebastian, noticing everything said, “My Lady, are you sure you are alright?”

“Yes I'm fine now. It seems I have recovered one of my memories. It was not a...very pleasurable experience.”

“No it didn't seem like one. My Lady, would you care to get dressed? The bath has become cold,” Sebastian said, changing the subject.

“Yes I would. Thank you, Sebastian.” 

Aileen stood up to get out of the tub and a shocked look crossed Sebastian's face. 

“My- my Lady?” The confused butler asked.

“What is it, Sebastian?” Aileen asked, concerned.

“I thought you were going to… so to speak, stay hidden?”

Aileen realized what she had done and blushed a light pink. “Well, I will need some help with my corset so… I mean there aren't really any un-undergarments beneath it, r-really,” Aileen stuttered out, blushing a deep red.

“My Lady, no need to be ashamed. After all, I am supposed to serve you in any way possible, at least until my master calls for me,” Sebastian said, with a soft blush of his own.

Noticing that Aileen was still standing up in the nude, Sebastian said, “Let me help you dress. It might be more comfortable and less awkward that way.”

“Y-yes, of course,” Aileen stuttered.

Sebastian walked out of the room to grab a robe for Aileen. She leaned against the wall, one arm across her chest and one hiding her lady parts.

“How will I ever live that down?” she asked herself, under her breath.

“Quite easily, I’d imagine. After all, I am but a butler.” Sebastian walked back into the room, a scarlet robe in hand. “It would have been quite different if you were to be, shall I say, dressed as you are now in front of my master.”

Aileen had an expression of panic on her face. “How-?”

Sebastian looked confused for a moment, but then understanding filled his eyes. “Oh you are referring to the fact that I answered your question. I have quite acute hearing. This is very beneficial for protecting the Phantomhive manor.”

Sebastian looked at her again. “Here is your robe, my Aileen. Let’s get you dressed. You must be cold by now.” Putting her arm in his, he led her back to the bedroom. 

Now that Aileen was paying attention, she saw that there was a four-poster bed made of mahogany covered in red sheets. There was an abundance of fluffy pillows of all different sizes. There was a scarlet curtain surrounding it, tied at the bedposts with a purple satin ribbon. She stated in wonder at the glorious bed, wondering how she would be able to sleep on something so beautiful once the time came.

“My Lady, your dress and undergarments are over here.” Sebastian beckoned her over to the chair where her dress lay.

“Oh my! I couldn't possibly wear that!” When Aileen first saw the dress she thought it too beautiful to wear, lest she soil it.

“But my Aileen, my master set you in this room for a reason. If he had not wanted you to wear one of these dresses, he would not have your room here,” Sebastian replied, trying to get Aileen to wear the lovely dress.

“But what would happen to it should I get it dirty? I couldn't bare if I had.”

“My Lady there is no need to worry about such things. Clothes were made to get dirty, and we do laundry daily. If you were to spill something on it, Mey-Rin would be able to get it out in the wash,” Sebastian reasoned with her.


	6. Her Mind, Independent

“If you say so…” Aileen said hesitantly. “It still would be such a shame to get it dirty.”

“Well there's no time to waste. Dinner will be ready soon, provided that Bardroy doesn't make the kitchen explode again,” Sebastian said under his breath. Grabbing Aileen's arm, he led her to the middle of the room and grabbed the undergarments first. 

“Do you need assistance with the undergarments, My Aileen?” Sebastian asked with a small smile.

“N-not right now. I-I would like to try by myself first, please.”

“Here you are. Let me know if you need any help.” Turning away, Sebastian headed towards the bathroom to give Aileen privacy.

Aileen looked at the foreign objects. She wondered what they looked like on a person, and then proceeded to attempt to put them on. She was able to get the pantyhose on just fine, but could not manage to figure out how the corset worked. 

“Sebastian, I need a little help with the corset,” Aileen called to the bathroom.

“Right away, My Lady,” came Sebastian's muffled reply. “I will be out in but a moment.”

Right after his reply, Sebastian came out of the bathroom. Aileen stood with her arms across her chest. 

Sebastian froze for a moment and murmured something.

“What was that? I'm sorry, I did not hear you,” Aileen spoke after a moment.

“Merely thinking to myself, My Aileen. Now, what do you need?”

“How do you use a corset? I have never, to my knowledge, used one before.” 

“No need to worry, Aileen, I will help you. Stand in the middle of this fabric here by the bedpost. You will be grateful for it once I lace up the corset.” 

Aileen moved over towards the bed, her arms still across her chest.

“My Lady I need to to remove your arms, otherwise the corset cannot be worn correctly,” Sebastian said, gently grabbing one of her elbows. 

Aileen shook off his hand. “Can I stand facing the bed? I don't know if I can do it facing you.”

“Yes of course. You will need to face that way once the laces start becoming tightened Aileen. I won't bite, I promise,” he grinned at her over his shoulder.

Laughing, Aileen dropped her arms from her chest and faced the bed. “Alright, Sebastian, I'm ready now.” Aileen looked over her shoulder at Sebastian, who slowly turned around. His eyes widened in awe.  
He muttered another word, one that Aileen couldn't hear. From the look in his eyes, she could almost guess what it was. She blushed and turned her head back around.

Gently, Sebastian pulled up her corset up from the ground and onto her. As he did so, his hand brushed up against Aileen’s chest, causing her to squeal and turn a bright red.

“So sorry, My Aileen,” Sebastian said, as he saw her blush. “It was unavoidable.”

“Th-that’s f-fine Sebastian,” Aileen stuttered out. “Please continue.”

“Brace yourself, My Lady, as this is slightly painful.” 

“Alright- OOF,” Aileen said in surprise, as her chest became constricted. She grabbed onto the bedpost as she felt the laces tightening yet again. “Se-ugh-Bastian how tight does this have to be?”

“Until it is as tight as it can be, Lady Aileen. Such is the fashion style of this time,” Sebastian replied, shaking his head. “What I don’t understand is why the female gender willingly puts themselves through this torture.” With a sigh he set back to tightening the laces at the back of the corset.


	7. Her Mind, Experiencing Introductions

After some time of Aileen trying to get out of the corset, undoing all of Sebastian’s hard work, she finally put the beautiful dress on. Aileen couldn’t help but gush at how beautiful it all was, including her shoes.

“Sebastian! I feel like a princess!” said Aileen, giggling as she spun in circles, causing the dress to flare out around her.

“You certainly look like one, My Lady,” Sebastian replied with a small smile. “Now it is time for dinner. I hope you are ready to dine with the young master.”

Aileen stopped spinning around, the smile dropping from her face replaced with a worried expression. “Is he… going to be rude like before? I don’t know if I could dine with him everyday if he were always like that.”

Sebastian brought his hand up to his chin. “I’ve never seen my master act like that before. I’ve no inkling of what he has going on in his mind, after all. I would think that he would not be, as you said, rude tonight. His manners are much better than that.”

“Perhaps. Well, we shall see at dinner. What is being served, do you know?” Aileen brought back her smile at full force, directed at Sebastian.

“I cannot tell you yet, for it would spoil the surprise.” Sebastian grinned at Aileen and offered her his arm. “My Lady, would you care to take a stroll towards the dining hall?”

Aileen giggled with a soft blush. “Of course, my good sir.” Taking his arm, she started walking with him towards the bedroom door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a ways of walking, the duo arrived at the door to the dining hall. After opening the door, Aileen saw that the Earl was already seated at the table. 

“Sebastian, it took you two long enough. Is dinner ready?” The young earl frowned at the pair as they walked through the doorway. 

“Of course it is, my Lord,” Sebastian replied with a fake smile and a bow. “Do you doubt me?”

“Hmph,” Ciel said, turning his head to the side. “Lady Aileen, why don’t you have a seat?”

“Yes, My Lady, do have a seat,” Sebastian echoed, pulling her chair out at the other end of the grand table. Aileen sat down in the offered chair and gave a huff of her own.

“I never understood why people must sit far away from each other at a big table like this. It is too hard to talk to one another.” 

“What was that, Lady Aileen?” Ciel Phantomhive said loudly across the table. “I’m sorry, I could not hear you.”

“Exactly my point,” Aileen said under her breath. Sebastian seemed to have heard her, because he chuckled. Aileen looked over at him, but he had already schooled his features back to his usual smirk.

“Nothing, Lord Phantomhive. Just unimportant musings,” Aileen commented with a fake smile.

“If you say so. I would like to know more about you. Would you be willing to answer a few of my questions?” Ciel asked Aileen.

“I would be happy to. At least to the best of my ability, as I have not recovered many of my missing memories,” Aileen replied with a small blush of embarrassment.

“That is all that I need. First of all, what are you? Are you a baker, an artist, a painter, or what?” 

Aileen tried to remember. “I believe I was... a seamstress, though I remember nothing of my trade. I feel like the clothing I was in when I first arrived here was tailored by me. It felt… I do not know how to explain it… as if it were… I do not know.”

Ciel nodded, lost in thought. “Well, you must have been a seamstress for the higher class as you are well spoken, much better than that of a normal commoner,” he said, mostly to himself. “Lady Aileen, do you remember your surname yet?”

“No, I am afraid I still do not know that yet. Hopefully I will remember that soon. I do not like not knowing who I am. It is very inconvenient, especially when you are being so generous,” Aileen said, ashamed as she could not provide any useful information for the young earl. “If I may, I have a question of my own.”

Ciel frowned. “Yes, what is it?”

“How shall I address you, Lord Ciel?” Aileen asked.

“You may call me ‘My Lord’ or ‘Earl’ or ‘Lord Ciel,’ whatever you wish Lady Aileen. How would you like to be addressed?” Ciel asked, a little curious.

“Aileen is fine, no formalities needed. After all, I cannot remember my family name. I would prefer not to be called anything higher than what I am, as that would make me appear fake. Since I might be a lowly servant in a random manor, I would not like to be addressed of a higher station that what I am,” Aileen rambled on. 

“Alright, Aileen. As for my last question, where do you come from? France? England? America?” Ciel cocked his head to the side a bit.

“I do not know.” Aileen looked down at the table, where a glorious spread of food had been set out while she wasn’t paying attention. She widened her eyes in surprise and glanced over at Sebastian, who smiled and slightly inclined his head to her.

Ciel sighed. “Oh well. Let us get started on our supper. I do not enjoy eating my food cold.”


	8. Special Chapter 1: Aileen vs. Ciel

A/N Hello Everyone!!   
My friend wrote her take on what Aileen seemed like to her, and I'd like to share it with you all. Think of this as a bonus chapter! The main story will be continued after this, don't worry.

 

      Aileen frowned at the vast array of utensils laid before her. Spoons upon spoons, knives of all sizes, forks with a differing number of prongs; in fact, the only similarities that they all had with each other were their silver color and meticulous design. If she was honest with herself, the whole display was rather unnecessary and loud.

      The grimace on Aileen’s face must have been evident because Ciel looked over at her with an expression of equal, if not greater, contempt. A singular blue eye stared her down, cold and devoid of any amusement. Aileen insistently fought the urge to stick her tongue out at the boy. She swore up and down that he had a stick up his rear, and it was rather irritating how he always seemed to put a damper on her mood. Because, and everyone knew this, but Ciel Phantomhive certainly did not smile.

      “Do you have any complaints, Aileen?” came the inquiry, dripping sweetly and falsely. Said blonde froze for a moment before biting the inside of her lip and looking off to the side.

      “No, Ciel. I am sure it would surprise you to know that I do not have any complaints.” Aileen muttered, turning her head enough to eye the cutlery with a distasteful look upon her face. Bothersome. “Well. I suppose, there is actually one thing.” At that, Ciel’s eye lit up and he leaned forward, resting his elbows upon the table and placing his head in his hands.

      “Yes? Pray tell.” he purred. Bothersome.

      “Your cutlery. It bothers me. Too grandiose. And, if I must say, it’s unpractical. I don’t need that many forks to eat a slice of cake or a piece of steak.” Aileen said simply, the first thoughts that came to her mind tumbling from her lips. And then.

      Ciel actually cracked a smile.

      “You’re honestly one of the most ridiculous people I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting, Aileen.” he scorned. Aileen smiled. They both knew that she could hear the smile and faint laugh in the tone of his voice. However, instead of saying anything, she plays along.

      “And you are equally as awful, Ciel Phantomhive.”

      After all, Ciel Phantomhive most certainly did not smile.


	9. Her Mind, Unconsciously Remembering

Aileen and Ciel sat awkwardly at the table together, Ciel trying and failing to find a topic that Aileen was interested in. He asked her all kinds of questions, probably to apologize for his earlier behavior. All he received in reply were noncommittal answers and monosyllables as she pushed her food around on her plate, head down. After his tenth time asking a question, he suddenly hit the table, scaring Aileen and making her jump.

“Look at me while I am talking to you, Aileen. It is immensely rude to ignore someone when they’re talking to you, as I am sure you are well aware of,” Ciel admonished, settling back in his chair. “Now, what kind of cuisine do you enjoy?”

Aileen thought for a moment then said, “Northern Italian cuisine is my favorite, I suppose. I very much enjoy the dish called ‘Val d'Aosta’. It seems as if all the flavors of the spices in the cheeses complement each other very well.”

Ciel stared at her for a moment, as if comprehending how she had eaten that before. “Aileen, are you sure you’ve had that before?”

Aileen looked at him, confusion written all over her face. “Yes of course. Why do you ask?”

Sebastian exchanged a glance with Ciel at hearing this. Ciel’s expression grew more troubled as he replied, “The meal you described just now is very expensive, as it is made with veal, and found only near Italy. I’ve only had it when I was small, when my parents brought me to Italy with them on a trip.”

Aileen asked him, “How do you know you cannot purchase it around here? Have you looked?”

Ciel sighed. “I’ve been looking for it here for years, ever since the death of my parents. I have not found one hint of it here in England.”

Aileen took a moment to absorb the information Ciel had just given her. The death of his parents? What happened to them? 

She looked at him and was about to ask until she saw his face. She figured she would ask Sebastian about it later.

Taking in the awkward silence, Sebastian left the room towards where Aileen believed to be the kitchen. Ciel tried to get the conversation going again. “Aileen, I believe you came from a higher class than serving maid or commoner, otherwise you would not have even been able to know that dish existed. Italy is also somewhere that the wealthy go to, because it is so far away and expensive to travel through.”

Aileen stared at him, realizing that what he said was true. Her eyes grew wide in awe as she realized that she had found a memory from her past. 

Ciel, noting the sudden, subtle change in Aileen’s visage asked, “What is it? Are you alright?”

Aileen softly giggled, taking her eyes away from him. “Yes of course I am. I just realized that I remembered something when I told you about loving the taste of Val d'Aosta. I know one more thing about myself now, all thanks to your question. Thank you, Ciel.”

Ciel stared at Aileen for a moment, flustered by her thanks. “Y-you are most welcome, Aileen.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The meal continued in this manner, Ciel asking Aileen questions and Aileen mostly responding with “I cannot remember” or “I do not recall.” She did remember her favorite color (azure, like the ocean), trips she had taken with her parents (the western coast of Europe), and favorite scent.

“It is the most wonderful smelling flower, pure white in beautiful green leaves. It smells like heaven and sunshine,” Aileen wistfully recalls, hope in her eyes at the memory. “I would love it so much to smell one again.”

Lost in thought, she did not notice Ciel’s signal to Sebastian, who bowed and promptly left the room. She also did not notice the butler leaving and when she came back to herself looked around with her eyebrows furrowed.

“Where is Mr. Sebastian?” she inquired.

“He had something to do, pay him no mind,” Ciel replied, waving away her question. “Now, where did we leave off…”


	10. Special Chapter 2 ~ Aileen and the Confession

A/N This is not a part of the story, just a little something I wrote. It has a girl-on-girl romance so don't read if that makes you uncomfortable (I'm sorry if it does, but I don't think anyone has a  problem with it).

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Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford - fiancee of the Earl Ciel Phantomhive, daughter of a Marquess and just so happens to be Aileen’s best friend. Aileen met her when she was a young child, hardly eight years old. Lizzy’s overwhelming energy and bubbly personality brought them together instantly, making them become the best of friends. As they grew older, their bond strengthened. Aileen constantly spent time at Lizzy’s family estate, and saw her best friend as often as possible. She couldn’t seem to stay away from the bubbly blonde for more than a short amount of time. She even accompanied Lizzy to her fiancee’s manor on more than one occasion. Aileen couldn’t help the feelings she was starting to notice, such as affection of that more than just a friend. She didn’t want Lizzy to notice so she kept it bottled up inside, never letting it show it’s head.

 

It was on one summer’s day, when she and Lizzy were in a meadow eating a picnic with the breeze gently blowing that she finally plucked up the courage to bring it up to her friend.

 

“Lizzy?” the blushing blonde hesitantly said, fidgeting her hands.

 

“Yes, Aileen, what is it?” Lizzy stared at her companion, her full attention on Aileen.

 

“I-” Aileen started to say, then stopped, turning a darker shade of red. “Nothing, nevermind.” Aileen glanced away.

 

Lizzy stood up and walked closer to her best friend. She sat down next to Aileen and put an arm around her waist. With a gentle smile she said, “You can tell me anything, Aileen. I mean it. Anything.”

 

Aileen looked hopefully at the bubbly blonde, blush still in place. “Are-are you positive you won’t hate me for it?”

 

Lizzy stared at Aileen, a serious expression crossing her face. “I promise I won’t.”

 

“I really like you, Lizzy,” Aileen said slowly, waiting for the judgement to come.

 

Lizzy looked a little confused for a moment. “I really like you too, Aileen. After all, you are my best friend!”

 

“No I mean… well you are my best friend but… I like you more than that. More than just a best friend. More than just any friend really.” Aileen couldn’t look at Lizzy, thinking that she wouldn’t want to be friends with someone like her. An Irregular.

 

“Aileen, look at me,” Lizzy said. Aileen kept her gaze on her lap. “Aileen.” Lizzy put a finger under Aileen’s chin, forcing her to make eye contact. Aileen didn’t see any judgement in her eyes. In fact, there was only affection. “I was afraid I was the only one feeling this way,” Lizzy said, intently gazing into Aileen’s eyes. “Now I know you feel the same way, I don’t have to worry about keeping it bottled up inside anymore.”

 

Then Aileen decided to act on her instincts and cupped Lizzy’s face. “I love you, Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford.”

 

“And I you Aileen whatever-the-rest-of-your-name-is,” (A/N I haven’t finished naming Aileen yet whoops) Lizzy replied, her palm cupping Aileen’s cheek.

 

Ever so slowly, they leaned closer together until their lips brushed. Something took over Aileen and she deepened the kiss.

 

They stayed like that for a minute, then broke apart when they ran out of air. Aileen stood up and spun in circles laughing, overjoyed at her feelings being reciprocated. Lizzy stayed seated, smiling happily at her best friend who was more than just her best friend.


End file.
